The Crossbow:An Exclusive Symbol of Swiss Quality

Wenger is one of a select few companies honored with rights to use the exclusive symbol of Swiss quality, the Swiss Label, and its crossbow. It appears on every Wenger Genuine Swiss Army Knife.

Limited to Swiss companies only, it signifies Swiss-made precision, reliability, flexibility, adaptability and innovation. It comes with a inherent sense of duty to uphold the high standards expected of products made in Switzerland.

The crossbow is commonly associated with the famous Swiss patriot William Tell. The precise nature of the weapon and Tell’s acts of heroism make it the perfect symbol to represent the positive characteristics that make Switzerland renown the world over.

Legend has it that the Swiss Confederation began with a shot from a crossbow.

William Tell was known as an expert shot with the crossbow. In his time, the Habsburg emperors of Austria were seeking to dominate parts of Switzerland. Albrecht Gessler, the newly appointed Austrian overlord raised a pole in Tell’s village central square, hung his hat on top of it, demanding that all the townsfolk bow before the hat. When Tell passed by the hat without bowing to it, he was arrested. As punishment, he was forced to shoot an apple off his son's head. Otherwise, both would be executed. Tell was promised freedom if he successfully made the shot.

On November 18, 1307, Tell split the apple from his son's head with a single bolt from his crossbow. Gessler noticed that before the shot Tell had removed two crossbow bolts from his quiver and after the shot asked him why. Tell replied that if he had killed his son, he would have turned the crossbow on Gessler himself. Gessler was angered, and had Tell arrested again. He was brought to Gessler's ship to be taken to his castle. Tell managed to escape, found Gessler and shot him. Tell's defiance sparked a rebellion, in which he played a leading part. The struggle eventually led to the formation of the Swiss Confederation.